


Wish You Were Here!

by greeneggs101



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Postcards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21876664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneggs101/pseuds/greeneggs101
Summary: “It’s a postcard.”Riku looked up at his mom. “You send it to people you miss?”His mom nodded, “It’s like saying that they wish you were there.”Riku looked back down at the card. “I wish I was there, too.”---Over the years, Sora has sent Riku many postcards, which always reach their destination. No matterwhereRiku is.
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 151





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So it's time for my yearly self-indulgent birthday fic (even though my birthday is tomorrow, for *reasons* I'm posting half of this fic today ^_^) Super thank you to [ Kai ](https://twitter.com/KaiserinAstraia) for the beta and cheerleading! ❤❤❤
> 
> So besides soriku merch, postcards are my second favorite item to collect. :D And in the first and third Kingdom Hearts games, you can send postcards to receive items, so I decided to write a fic about to whom Sora may have sent those postcards. 
> 
> In this fic, I also created all of the artwork for the postcards. And yes. Trust me. I know it's terrible. I'm not a very good artist, I am aware. 😂😅 But I'm also not accepting critique on the art at this time. Despite it's... quality, I am quite proud of it. So please don't comment saying the art for the postcards is bad. It's more or less just the idea of the postcard I had in mind when writing the fic and decided to try to actually make the cards as well as create images for the messages on the back. Just focus on the cute messages Sora sends instead. They mean more to the story anyway. 
> 
> With that said, please enjoy!

“Riku, something came in the mail for you.”

Riku peeked out from where he had been hiding under the covers miserably, sneezing three times in a row as he did so and trying to suppress a shiver when he was done. Why was it called a cold when it was summer? 

His mom’s gentle smile sent a wave of comfort through him though as she walked over to wrap him up in a hug. “Are you okay, baby?” 

“Mom, ‘m not a baby,” Riku protested. He was _six_ and six-year-olds weren’t _babies._ He leaned into the hug anyway. His mom was always so warm, even more so now with the room freezing. 

She chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, “My tough little boy then.” She laid a kiss on his forehead. “How are you feeling? You still have a bit of a fever.” 

“I’m better,” Riku insisted, though his achy joints and stuffy nose were anything but. “Can I go see Sora now?” He and Sora had plans for this summer and they needed to do them, not get stuck at home with a cold. 

His mom stared at him knowingly, not believing him. “I’m afraid not. I think I also detect that you still have a stuffy nose. And you slept through most of the day anyway. Sora’s at home with his parents having dinner.” 

“He is?!” Riku couldn’t believe he slept through the whole day. That was a whole day of not having fun with Sora and that just was not possible. 

“Yep. Though it appears you weren’t far from his thoughts.” 

His mom held out what looked like a picture:

Riku frowned. “It’s just a picture of a paopu fruit.” 

His mom laughed. “Turn it around sweetie.”

Confused, Riku did so, finding a message to him written in his best friend’s familiar handwriting:

“It’s a postcard.”

Riku looked up at his mom. “You send it to people you miss?”

His mom nodded, “It’s like saying that they wish you were there.” 

Riku looked back down at the card. “I wish I was there, too.” 

With a smile, his mom ruffled his hair. “You’ll be there soon, Riku. It’s just a cold.” She leaned in and kissed his forehead. “I think your fever has come down some. Maybe tomorrow Sora can come over here and play.”

“Okay.” Riku was already feeling his eyes droop and he covered a yawn with his hand. “Being sick sucks.” 

“I know, sweetie.” 

He felt his mom gently take the postcard from his slackening grip. “Don’t throw it—”

“I’m not going to, Riku. It’ll be right here when you wake up.” She placed the card on the end table. “Goodnight, sweetie.” 

“Night, Momma.” 

He felt her tuck him in and lay one last kiss on his head before she left. Riku fell asleep counting the number of things he and Sora would do in the morning. 

\---

Riku frowned as he looked down at the card in his hand. He had meant to send it, but he had forgotten and it just seemed silly to send it now. 

But he still wanted to show it to Sora. 

Did it mean the same if you gave the person a postcard?

“What do you got, Riku? Did you bring me a present from the big island?”

Well… too late to hide it now. 

Riku nodded, holding the card out. “I got you a t-shirt and chocolate as well. But they’re in my backpack for after school.” 

Sora eagerly took the card, grinning widely over the picture on the front, then flipping it over to see the message on the back. '

Riku absently rubbed the back of his head. It did seem a bit silly. He only got one for Sora, not for Kairi, because he really wanted Sora to go with them on vacation. But his parents said no, and this seemed like the next best thing and— 

“I love it, Riku!” 

Riku suddenly found arms encircling his neck as Sora hugged him tightly. 

Riku’s heart skipped a beat, and blood rushed to his face. As he tried to relax, he felt his heart speed up instead, feeling like it was going to burst. It wasn’t unusual for Sora to hug him spontaneously, so why was his heart beating so fast? All the same, he raised his own arms to circle Sora’s waist, holding the other boy close. Sora was warm and he always smelled nice, like the beach. 

They stood there for a long moment. Maybe even longer than any of their hugs before. Finally, Riku heard the school bell in the distance and he reluctantly pulled away, but Sora still clung close. “Really? Even though I didn’t send it while I was gone?”

“Of course!” Sora pulled back just enough to smile at him. “It means you thought of me even while you were having fun somewhere else! I can’t ask for much more than that!” 

Riku grinned and hugged his friend again. He hadn’t minded so much to go on an adventure to the big island, but he did wish Sora could have gone with him. Maybe then it would have been more fun. 

One day they would go on the biggest adventure. 

\---

Adventuring wasn’t nearly as fun as he hoped it would be. 

For one thing, his new home had no windows and the blankets didn’t provide nearly enough warmth at night. The creepy lady, Maleficent, had promised that she could find his friends, but so far she hadn’t seemed to be looking very hard. Instead, she let him wander around the castle, telling him the creatures that inhabited it, the Heartless, wouldn’t bother him as long as he had a strong enough heart to keep them at bay. 

He hadn’t quite understood what she had meant at first. At least not until a dozen or so of the monsters that hid in the shadows of the castle chased after him one day. Not sure what to do, Riku had searched for Maleficent. 

She had stared down at him. 

_“It’s survival of the strongest, Riku. Are you not strong enough to survive?”_

Riku had clenched his teeth. How could he survive anything if he didn’t have the right tools? 

The monsters circled him, sensing that he was unable to protect himself. They hesitated for a moment, then one brave Shadow Heartless jumped. Riku flinched, holding his hand out instinctively. 

Suddenly his hand felt heavier as something appeared in it. The Shadow that had tried to attack him instantly dissipated on contact with the item. Riku blinked his eyes open, finding that he was now holding on to some kind of sword. It was dark red and looked sort of like a bat's wing, with a bright blue eye in the center of the hilt. It was heavier than his old wooden sword but sleeker. 

He struck another Shadow that had leaped up to attack. The sword sliced through it like it was nothing. Riku’s heart beat faster, but not in the apprehension and anger he had felt earlier, but in… something that resembled joy. He could protect himself now. 

He launched at another Shadow. Then another. Soon the entire hoard that had chased him through the castle was defeated. 

Maleficent had been pleased. 

“A sword of darkness is fitting. Now you will have no fear in your travels.” 

However, even his new sword didn’t stop the ache in his heart. He missed his friends. Mostly Sora. They were supposed to go adventuring _together._ Now they were separated, probably in totally different worlds. 

Riku didn’t even know where to start looking. And Maleficent was no help, despite her assurances to the contrary. 

So he spent his days practicing with his sword instead. His opponents continued to be whatever popped out of the shadows that day. It was getting easier to summon his new sword, Soul Eater, on command, and the Shadows were now providing little challenge. He almost considered ascending to the basement to take on something stronger. 

Something that emerged directly from the darkness down there. 

But he resisted. He had to focus more on getting stronger so he could find his friends. He was the leader. Sora might have gotten himself into trouble by now, and Riku would have to get him out of it. 

As he was returning to his room after training with his new blade he found that he had mail. 

He wasn’t sure how it got there. He was fairly certain Maleficent didn’t have a mailing address, but the postcard laid unassuming on his bed, the picture facing up. 

Riku wasn’t sure what the creature was, but he turned it over anyway. 

A grin crossed over his face, the first one in days. Finally, he had a lead on Sora.

But how would he get to this ‘Traverse Town’?

Maybe Maleficent would know. 

\---

_“You shouldn’t rely so much on the darkness…”_

Maleficent sent him back to his room to rest, insisting that she could take care of Kairi. Riku had reservations about leaving Kairi in the witch’s care, but he also couldn’t deny that he may have overdone it with the dark corridor. But Hook was taking too damn long and was too damn obsessed with that Pan guy. The one that became friends with Sora.

Riku’s heart hammered against his ribcage, trying to escape, but he tampered it down, along with the spike of fear that came with the sensation. Fearing the darkness would only lead to weakness. That’s what Maleifenct told him. That’s what the whispers in his mind told him. 

Don’t fear the darkness. Embrace it. 

_Why are you siding with the Heartless, Riku?.... You’re stupid!_

Riku growled and kicked a rock, listening to it as it scattered across the stone hallway with a _‘ping, ping, ping!’_

What did Sora know? Riku wasn’t the stupid one. Sora was! Trusting all these people at the first meeting. What did Sora see in those new friends of his anyway? Riku was better than them. Stronger and smarter. And he knew Sora longer. Did any of Sora’s new friends know that Sora can’t sleep during a thunderstorm unless someone was touching him? Or that Sora hates the taste of coconut? 

Or that his greatest fear is getting left behind? 

Of course not. Only Riku knew these things. Riku was his oldest friend and an even older friend than Kairi. 

Sora should _miss_ him. Instead of running off with new friends. 

He let out a sigh, the ache in his heart worsening. There was a sharp tug whenever he thought of Sora. It was painful, like something struggling to get free. But he found that the more he worked with his new powers, summoning dark shadow figures and portals, the pain began to fade until it was a memory. 

Maleficent had once warned him that in order to properly use the true power in his heart, he would have to cut ties with his childhood and leave those bonds behind. And Riku tried. He tried telling himself that those he left behind didn’t matter. They were just holding him back.

But _something_ kept drawing him right back to Sora. 

Something stronger than a simple childhood friendship. 

Riku let out a deep sigh and kicked another rock. 

_‘Ping, ping, crack!’_

Huh?

Riku frowned a the odd sound. It sounded like the rock had hit something like wood or paper instead of stone. He walked over to where he heard the sound. 

The rock had landed on some sort of paper with a picture on the front that reminded Riku of the ocean between worlds he had seen when traveling on Hook’s ship. 

“Tch,” Riku scoffed. Traverse Town certainly never welcomed him. It was too bright, too big. 

Too full of Sora’s new _friends._

Riku sniffed, stubbornly wiping away the stray dust that got caught in his eye. Sora was wrong. He wasn’t the one acting weird, Sora was. He just had to be reminded that Riku was the strong one. That Riku would always be the one who would save Sora and Kairi. Not the other way around. 

Sora needed a reminder of that. 

\--- 

Riku didn’t get the next postcard until long after he had entered the realm of darkness. Long after he and Sora closed the door and Riku knew that he might not see his best friend ever again. 

He had nearly walked over it before the slight crunch of paper startled him into looking down. 

He paused, kneeling down to pick the small card up. The picture on it was some kind of pre-rendered image of stars. 

“Where will I go?” Riku wondered aloud. “I'm stuck in place with no way out. Where _can_ I go?”

He turned the card over, a little afraid of what was written. There were tearstains on it, almost blurring out some of the words but they were still legible. 

Sora must have written it after Kairi and the others escaped Hollow Bastion. Riku could still feel the overwhelming pain in his heart when he could only watch as Sora plunged that stupid keyblade into his own chest. But he had been grateful for the pain. It focused him. He could regain control of his body for a brief moment. All the time he needed to hold Ansem back. Let Kairi get to safety at least. 

How had Sora regained his body? 

The question plagued Riku. But Mickey reassured him that everything was okay. 

Riku closed his eyes, focusing on his heart.

_Thump-thump! Th-Thump! Th-Thump-Th-Thump!_

There it was. The heartbeat that resonated with his own. 

_Sora._

Sora out there somewhere. And he was okay. 

That was enough. 

Still, reading the card made something else bubble up in Riku’s chest. It was the same feeling he got whenever he thought of Sora now. Something that wasn’t fear or jealousy. He knew all too well how those feelings affected him now. Turned him into someone he was ashamed of. 

This feeling though… it was warm and bright and made his heart sing. 

But it made him a little nervous and sad all the same. 

“Riku?” the King asked, walking over to see why he had stopped. “Gosh, what’s wrong?” 

Riku shook his head, wiping the tears from his eyes. His emotions always had the worst timing. He couldn’t think about loving Sora now. Not when he would never see the other again. 

Feelings were the worst.

\---

Even a year later, feelings were still the worst. But he didn’t resent them. To do so would make him no better than a Nobody. 

He hadn’t heard Sora’s voice in nearly a year, only able to sneak glances at him while the boy slept. And now Sora was awake again. 

And Riku would only be able to see him at a distance. There was no way he could let Sora see him now. Not like this. 

Sora was safe, at least for now. He had just started a new journey, so it wasn’t like he could get into much trouble, yet. And Riku would try to keep him safe as much as he could from the shadows. The Organization would be making their move soon and Riku was sure to keep them out of Sora’s way until his friend was strong enough to face them. 

Riku sighed, his heart heavy as he continued skulking through the dark streets. Despite Axel’s desertion to the Organization, he hadn’t been so willing to give up all their secrets before disappearing, leaving Riku stuck spying on its members to try and decipher their next move. He still hadn’t figured out a way to fully infiltrate the castle, so stalking around the city was his best bet for running into one of the members sooner or later. 

But with his luck, it would probably be the airhead guitar player again. 

So lost in thought, Riku paid little attention to where he was going and didn’t notice the scrap of paper on the slick ground until he stepped on it, causing it to slide and Riku to lose his balance. His arms pinwheeled as he nearly crashed to the ground before instinct took over and he regained his footing. 

_Wow, Riku, and you call me a klutz?_

Riku flinched at the memory of Sora’s voice, clenching his fist. 

Sora would have found it hilarious Riku nearly fell on his face after tripping over a scrap of paper. Even more so if it was the face of Ansem that had the goofy look of absolute confusion and panic. 

But then again, Sora would never see it. Because Riku was never going to let him. 

The thought sobered his humor and he turned his glare to the piece of paper instead. He could barely make out the image in the dim light, a drawing of sea salt ice cream. 

Riku frowned. An advertisement from twilight town? But how would it have gotten here? Was the Organization still interested in the sleepy town? But as he flipped it over to toss it away, he noticed writing on the back. The dim lighting made it difficult to make out and Riku hurried to find some sort of street lamp or shop light. 

He eventually found a small item shop run by one of the moogles disguising itself as a Nobody. He kupo’d at him distractingly before returning to stocking shelves. Riku briefly wondered if had much business with half the Organization destroyed. 

Shaking his head Riku looked back down to the writing on the card, his mouth opening in shock when he realized what it was. It had been so long since he had found one of Sora’s wayward postcards that he had almost forgotten their existence. He didn’t even think anything addressed to Riku would find him in this form. 

But here it was:

Riku let out a sigh. Sora would never give up looking for him. Even when he should. 

Crossing his arms, Riku thought about the postcards. If only there was some way to— 

“Kupo! If you want to send a postcard, they are over there! Only 100 munny, kupo!” 

Riku blinked at the fuzzy white creature hidden by the dark jacket, then down to the small rack the creature was pointing too. He nodded his thanks absently and walked over, quickly picking any postcard. The image wouldn’t matter, just the message. 

He paid for his purchase and borrowed a pen (though, Riku wasn’t sure if it was borrowing if he had to pay 50 munny just to use it), writing his own message quickly and succinctly. 

It wasn’t until he left the shop that he realized he had no way to send it. He had no clue how Sora’s postcards kept finding him either. 

In the end, he stuffed it back into his pocket where it stayed. He thought so many times of slipping it in where Sora would see it. But he could never quite get up the courage to do so. 

Would the postcard deter Sora? Or just encourage him?

And what outcome did Riku truly want? 

It would be better to disappear without a trace. Sora shouldn't chase after false hope. 

\---

Of course, he should have known better. Riku could never keep himself too far away and Sora chased him anyway. Namine and Kairi somehow accidentally conspired together in order to ensure that Sora would see what Riku had become. 

And Sora had fallen to his knees crying in relief, insisting that it didn’t matter what Riku looked like, as long as he was safe. 

The emotions that Riku had forced down for a year began to bubble up again. In the months he had been spying for DiZ, searching for answers, and fighting the darkness in his heart, Riku didn't have much free time to ponder on those feelings. But as he stared at Sora’s brilliant smile, they all came bursting out at once, leaving him a mess he hoped didn’t show on his face. 

Even while they sat by the beach in the Realm of Darkness, Riku didn’t try to fight or ponder those feelings. He was with Sora again. 

That was enough.

The postcards Sora had sent from his first journey and the start of this one rested comfortably in his pocket as they sat and listened to the sound of the ocean. Reminders of how much Sora cared. 

Of course, the biggest reminder was the fact that Sora was still here next to him. When they finally managed to return home, Riku quietly added the postcards to the one Sora had sent when they were children. As long as they were together, Sora would never need to send a postcard again. 

Of course, it would never be quite that easy. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, dumb dumb me forgot to mark this as a 2 part story, so sorry for any confusion. Here's part 2!! Featuring Kingdom Hearts III locations and more terrible postcard design. 😂❤ I am proud of these postcard images though. Even though they're terrible.

“Huh? What do you got there, Tama?” Riku knelt down and gently pried the small card from his Tama Sheep’s mouth. The sheep quietly _baa’d_ at the loss before sniffing at his pockets for more treats. 

Riku absently gave her a Dream Candy, passing another one up to his Komory Bat as well. Komo nuzzled his face into Riku’s hair with a soft _‘cree’_ , landing on Riku’s shoulder to rest. 

Luckily, it appeared that its time in Tama’s mouth didn’t damage the card. Though Riku could see why she might have picked it up. With its bright colors and colorful text, she might have thought it was some kind of Dream Eater treat. 

Was it just an advertisement for Flick Rush? Riku nearly shoved it in his pocket to throw away later but happened to catch a brief glimpse of writing on the back. Turning it over, he found Sora’s familiar scrawl. 

Riku laughed. Of course, Sora _would_ send a postcard in the middle of a test. Riku was shocked that it had found him anyway, but he supposed that was the nature of a dream. He and Sora were never far apart, even when they couldn’t see each other. 

Riku placed his hand over his chest, closing his eyes. 

_Thump-thump! Th-Thump! Th-Thump-Th-Thump!_

His heart still beat in tune with Sora’s. It felt stronger in a dream, as if Sora really was right beside him. They were on the same path. Always. 

\---

_*Crunch!*_

Riku startled at the sound right under his boot. Glancing down, he found a small square of paper, bright and colorful.

Was it—? 

Even now?

"What's wrong, Riku?" 

Riku shook his head, bending down to pick up the paper, feeling its heavyweight and glossy feel. It appeared to be a photograph of Twilight Town’s never-changing sunset. 

“What’s that?” Mickey asked, looking up at the card. “There’s writing on the back.” 

“It’s a postcard from Sora,” Riku answered, turning the paper over. Sure enough, he saw Sora’s familiar scrawl. 

Riku laughed at Sora’s words. “It looks like Sora figured out how to use the gummiphone no problem. At least the camera function.” He knelt down so Mickey could read the card as well. 

Mickey read over it quickly. “I’m glad they’ve started their new journey.” He looked back up at Riku. “Do you often get postcards from him?” 

Riku felt the blood rush to his face and he hesitated for a moment before reaching into an inside pocket of his jacket and pulling out the other postcards. “A few over the past few adventures. I’ve been keeping them with me. They… encourage me.” 

He flipped through them, skipping over the one didn’t send. He had read them so many times, he had them practically memorized. 

“That’s great!” Mickey said. “And you just... find them?” 

Riku nodded. “Sometimes I walk right over them. They stumble in my pathway whenever I least expect it.” 

He had stopped trying to guess why the postcards appeared sporadically and never in any kind of mailbox. He supposed it didn’t matter that much. 

“It must be because you and Sora are so in tune. The postcards are just following the connection between your hearts.” 

Mickey sounded so sure, and the words sent another wave of heat to Riku’s cheeks. The postcards were following the connection between him and Sora? It seemed impossible. But…

He always received Sora’s postcards, no matter where he was. 

Riku quickly straightened out his postcards again, including the newest one, and tucked them back into his pocket for safekeeping. “I guess now that he’s figured out how to make his own postcards, we’ll just have to keep an eye out for more.” 

Mickey nodded in agreement. 

—-

Sure enough, Riku began to find a new postcard at nearly every turn. One showed up just as they were waiting to meet with Ienzo in Ansem’s old office. The postcard seemed to fall from the sky; Another brightly colored postcard, though this one appeared to not be a photograph:

Riku’s jaw ached from smiling so much, but he couldn’t help the grin after reading Sora’s words. There were on an important mission, but of course, Sora would get distracted finding the monsters in his closet. Or taking pictures of the fields he had rested in while in the Kingdom of Corona. Or texting Riku all about this game he had seen in another world. 

That’s just who Sora was. Always stopping to smell the flowers. Finding fun in the smallest of tasks. 

When Riku was younger he envied that ability. Now he felt his heartbeat a little faster, his blood run a little warmer as a wave of love washed over his heart. 

With a lingering contentedness, he added the postcard to his collection just as Ienzo appeared in the office.

“Oh, Your Majesty. Riku,” Ienzo greeted, opening the door to the computer room, “Lexaus said you were here. He said you wanted to discuss replicas?” 

—

After discussing the possibilities of replicas and Vexen’s disappearance, Riku and Mickey left the castle, ready to resume their journey. On their way back to the gummiship Riku nearly stepped on another postcard. Riku wondered how they could appear so fast. Was Sora just racing through worlds and solving problems? Or was the universe just saving postcards until it thought Riku needed to see them? 

This newest one was a beautiful photograph of a purple sky, the trees nearly black in the foreground. It must have been one that Sora had printed. 

As Mickey called his wife, Riku leaned against the garden wall, reading the back of the postcard. 

Frowning, Riku tried to hold the card up to the light, but the crossed-out lines remained a mystery. 

_Did you try to run away from—_

_Y— make—— fe_

Riku shook his head, befuddled. That last line had been scratched out so much that Riku couldn’t make out a word of it. 

What had Sora been trying to ask him? What was he going to say? 

Riku supposed he could just ask Sora next time he saw him. Which should be soon. Mickey had mentioned wanting to go see Yen Sid one more time before returning to the Realm of Darkness. Hopefully, Sora could take a break in his adventure to meet them there.

—-

Riku completely forgot to ask. Between what all had been discovered, there was no room to bring up trivial questions. Their respective missions were more important than ever. They had to find Aqua and Ventus. 

“Riku! Look out!” 

Heading Mickey’s warning, Riku ducked and dodged, the wave of Shadows following his every movement. The Heartless were strong here. But—

Riku struck with his new keyblade. It didn’t falter as it struck straight at the heart of the wave. 

He was stronger. 

He could feel it with every heartbeat. The realm didn’t terrify him like it did the first time. 

Riku remembered what Mickey had said last time. About caring for someone so much that other feelings disappear. 

Was that it? 

His love for Sora had only grown with time. His smile, his laugh, every time he showed concern for Riku. All of it only sent another wave of warmth and love through Riku’s whole body. That love made him feel invincible, though he knew he wasn’t. 

It still made him feel strong. 

He dodged another attack from the Shadow Tower, leaping up into the air to cast a dark firaga at it. It flinched, whirling away from him as it regrouped. 

Riku landed, then launched into another attack as it retreated. 

Suddenly, his foot hit something and slid out from underneath him. His arms pinwheeled as he landed on the hard ground with an _oof_. 

The Shadows knew an opening when they saw it and Riku wasn’t sure he would be able to call a barrier in time. 

“Reflect!” 

Mickey’s shield covered Riku in just the knick of time. The tower’s attack bounced off and Riku followed up by another Firaga spell. 

Finally, the tower dissipated, the Shadows scurrying off to regroup and attack them again later. They could breathe easier for a moment or two. 

Riku took the time to find whatever it was he had slipped on. It hadn’t felt like a rock, it felt like—

When he spotted it, he huffed out a tired laugh, picking the rectangular piece of paper up from the ground and carefully brushing the dirt off. He loved Sora’s postcards. Treasured them more than anything and held them close to his heart. 

He just wished that their connection, the universe, or whatever it was that kept placing the postcards at Riku’s feet had some kind of timing. He would prefer it if they wouldn’t show up in the heat of battle. 

“Another one?” Mickey asked. 

Riku nodded. This one had writing on the front as well. Evidently, Sora couldn’t help but embellish the picture he had taken. 

A ship huh? Riku turned the card over, eager to see where they had gone this time. 

That familiar warmth washed over Riku once again as he read Sora’s enthusiastic message. He would love that. They always played pirates when they were younger, Sora always begging to be captain. First, it had just been imaginative adventures to the play island, then to other nearby islands. Then, after Terra’s visit, Riku began encouraging the idea that they were pirates off to discover new worlds. 

Riku would love to explore a whole world by ship when all this was done. Just him and Sora and the open sea. 

It was all he ever wanted. 

“Gosh, Riku. Keep smiling like that and you’re sure to keep the Heartless at bay.” 

A startled laugh burst out of Riku’s chest, a sound that must have been rare in the realm of darkness. 

He read over the card one last time before slipping it in to join the others in his coat pocket. “Just… making plans for when all this is done.” 

—-

Riku waved at Sora as the other ran further down the hall to tell Donald and Goofy that he, Riku, and Kairi would be spending a few hours back on Destiny Islands before the big battle tomorrow. The brunet’s enthusiasm to head back to the beach for a few hours was infectious. Riku couldn’t help but be a little calmed as well to be headed home. Maybe he could get some quiet to actually talk with the replica in his heart. 

For now, though, he did want to grab a few things from his room. Knowing Sora, they would have to leave straight from the islands to head towards the Keyblade Graveyard, so it would be better to be prepared with the elixirs he kept hoarded in his stuff. 

When he flicked on the light, he was surprised by the card on his bed. 

Another one?

He thought they would have stopped since he and Sora were together again, but it appeared that Sora had time to send at least one more. 

Again, there were a few lines at the bottom that Riku just couldn’t make out. Clearly, Sora had something on his mind. 

“Hey, Riku!” 

Riku glanced up from the card in his hand, giving Sora a smile. “Hey!” 

“What do you got there?” Sora walked into the room, focusing on the postcard in Riku’s hand. 

“Well, you would know,” Riku said. “You sent it.” 

“Sent— Oh! The postcard?!” Sora ran the last few steps, eagerly glancing down at the images. “You got it?!” 

“Of course.” Riku took the bundle of cards he had kept in his jacket pocket. “I got all of them.” 

“Wow!” Sora looked amazed. “I’ve been sending them to you throughout—”

“Throughout all your adventures,” Riku finished. “I always got them. I’m, er, not sure how though. Most of the time, they practically end up at my feet.” 

“Wow. That’s so cool though!” Sora’s blue eyes were bright with excitement. “Seriously, I always just sort of tossed them in the mailbox with just a wish that it would get to you. Or handed it to a Moogle who said they could get it there. But they actually reached you?!”

“Always,” Riku promised. 

“Let me see!” 

Riku held them out, but instead of taking them as he expected, Sora just leaned into his side. He was a warmth that seemed to spread all through Riku, banishing the last lingering traces of chill leftover from the Realm of darkness. 

Together they flipped through the cards, Sora eagerly explaining the story that came with most of the ones from the worlds he had just been to, laughing over every single one. He never really explained what he meant with the crossed-out words, just said that he had been rambling. 

They went further back into the stack, coming across the ones Sora sent from his first journey. 

Sora’s laughter quieted as they looked over the older cards. “I sent these, never knowing if you got them.” 

“I did,” Riku admitted, letting Sora take the card that had the silhouette of Traverse Town and flipping it over. “I loved getting them. Even when I didn’t want to admit it. Because at least I knew you were okay.” 

Sora sighed so deeply that Riku quickly slid an arm around his shoulders to comfort him. 

“I’m sorry. I should have—” 

“It’s not your fault, Riku,” Sora said quietly. “And I didn’t send the cards to try and guilt you. I sent them out of the hope that you were okay.” He glanced up into Riku’s eyes. 

“I always need you to be okay.” 

“I am,” Riku promised. “I’m okay if you’re okay.” 

Sora breathed out a quiet laugh, wiping under his eyes with the back of his hand. Then he turned back to the cards, finding the one he had sent from Twilight Town when he first woke up there months ago now. “I remember getting this. And sending it out to you in the hopes that you would get it. But… then when I traveled the worlds, I never found any more. And my heart wasn’t in it. I didn’t want to _wish_ you were there. I _wanted_ you there with me.” 

“I was never far,” Riku admitted, squeezing Sora’s shoulders. 

Sora nodded, then flipped to the second to last card. The one that Riku never sent from the World that Never Was. A frown settled on his face. “What’s this? I never—” 

“Er...” Riku quickly tried to hide it but Sora pulled it from his grasp, flipping it over. “I meant to send that, but... I didn’t.” 

“You said that you didn’t want me to find you,” Sora whispered quietly, pulling out of Riku’s arms to sit quietly on the bed. 

“I know.” Riku sat down as well. “And you know why. But I’m glad you did.” He reached out and laid his hand on top of Sora’s. “I’m glad that you found me.” 

Sora’s frown morphed back into a grin and Riku’s heart filled with warmth. 

It began to bubble over, filling any cracks and holes that may have once been in his heart. He wanted to intertwine his fingers with Sora’s, wanted to share this warmth with him. Maybe even close the distance between them and lay a kiss onto Sora’s dimpled grin. He wanted to know if it tasted as sweet as it looked. 

He wanted to hold Sora close and wish that they could put off this battle for a little while longer. 

Riku wanted everything. 

_You send postcards to those you love._ His mom said that once _._

Maybe Sora sent him postcards because— 

“Sora—” Riku began but was cut off when Sora reached for another postcard, one that had a few curled corners, and writing that was now aged and worn out. Riku had traced the words so many times when he was younger, even long after he had memorized the message. 

“What’s— oh!” Sora pulled the card towards him, grinning at the image of the paopu fruit on the beach. “I sent this to you, right? When we were little?”

“Yeah... “ Riku trailed off, the warmth and love in his heart trickling back down to bearable levels. The words he wanted to express could wait. There would be time later. After they had won. “When I was sick, remember?” 

“Of course I remember!” Sora said, leaning his weight into Riku’s side. “I remember wanting to do something to make you feel better. You always get grumpy and whiny when you’re sick.” 

“I do not,” Riku protested weakly, “You’re worse.” 

“Am not!” Sora laughed, leaning further into Riku’s side. “Did it make you feel better though?” 

“Yeah. It did. They all did.” 

It seemed impossible, but Sora’s smile grew even wider and this time Riku couldn’t resist pulling Sora into a hug. He was so warm, like the islands. Home. 

Sora always felt like home. 

—-

Riku wasn’t sure how he had no tears. Even as his heart ached, and every nerve ending screamed out with the urge to throw something until Sora was back at his side. He barely resisted the temptation by clenching his fist. And he settled the restless feeling in his legs by sitting on the warm sand. Long after everyone else had left, returning to their homes and their lives, Riku sat on the beach, staring out at the setting sun. 

And wondering why the tears still wouldn’t come.

It was probably because he knew in his heart that Sora wasn’t gone. He just wasn’t here. 

And Riku missed him. With every fiber of his heart. 

He had felt this before too, during the year Sora was asleep. But at least then Riku knew where Sora _was_. Now—

“He’ll come back.” 

Riku turned to look at Kairi, who kept her gaze steady on the horizon, her arms crossed behind her back. 

“I know that.” 

“I know you do. But I also thought you could use a little reassurance. You’re not the only one believing in him.” 

“I know that, too.” 

As he returned gaze outwards towards the sunset, he heard Kairi sigh and sit next to him, legs crossed in front of her. 

“Sora told me about the postcards, you know. The ones he sent to you.” 

Heat bloomed on Riku’s face and he hurried to look away. “What about them? I’m sure he sent you some too.” 

“No. He didn’t.” She didn’t sound angry about it. Just resigned. “Or if he did, they never reached me. But I don’t think he did. He wanted to explore all those worlds with you. Of course, he would miss you in each and every world.” 

“Kairi, I—” He cut off, unsure of what to say. ‘I’m sure he thought of you too’? ‘its because postcards were kinda our thing’?

“He’ll be back,” Kairi reiterated, breaking the awkward silence. “But… he might be faster if you went out there to get him. Maybe he needs you to guide him home.” 

Riku blinked, his heart skipping a beat at the words and he put some thought into it. 

“I don’t even know where he is Kairi,” he said eventually, leaning back on his hands. “How can I—” 

His hand touched something that definitely wasn’t sand. Sitting up straight again in surprise, he turned to look at the unexpected object. 

It was a card, approximately the size of the postcards still in his pocket. 

His hands shook as he picked it up, wiping the sand away. It wasn’t damaged by water, the picture perfectly clear, if unrecognizable. 

Riku barely breathed as he turned the card over. It was impossible. It couldn’t be—

But it was. The color of Sora’s ink changed towards the end as if he had to write the postcard at different times. But the handwriting was the same, the signature sending a wave of hope through Riku, even as he also felt a few pinpricks of worry at Sora’s words. There was no city name, no stamp. Just Sora’s words. 

And he needed Riku. 

“Kairi, I gotta—” He glanced up to find her holding out a blank postcard and pen. 

“Let him know you’re on your way.” 

Riku’s heart skipped a beat. Turning the card over, he couldn't help the wave of satisfaction at seeing the image. This exchange of postcards began with a paopu fruit. It made sense to end with one as well. 

Riku would make sure that he was never far enough away from Sora’s side to warrant a postcard ever again. No more just missing each other. 

He quickly filled out the back as well, then hesitated his next move. How did Sora mail them? He said he’d just toss them into the post office box. But should Riku leave from here to go find him, or—

“You’re going to need supplies,” Kairi suggested. “You can put that in the mail on your way to the Gummiship.” 

Riku nodded. Right. Supplies. Then Gummiship. Then Sora. 

Kairi walked with him to the post office, and he held the postcard in his hand for just a moment, reaching out to Sora with all his heart. 

Then he placed the card in the slot and _believed_. 

—-

Sora’s hand shook as he tried to fit everything he wanted to say onto the tiny postcard. He supposed he could have tried with a letter. But he didn’t know if letters went through. 

He knew postcards did. Or at least, one did. He shifted the postcard he was writing on just enough to glance at the picture of the paopu fruit again. 

It had happened just as Riku had said. It just appeared under his foot one day, lying on the sidewalk as if it had been there the whole time. 

He just had to believe that his own postcards were making it to Riku. 

The front of the postcard didn’t matter. He had just bought a stack of them when he had the munny to do so, carefully writing out his messages with borrowed pens in the light of streetlamps and shop windows. 

When he was done, he brought the card to his lips and made a wish. “Please, find Riku.” He read it over one last time, making sure there was nothing else he wanted to say. 

Satisfied, Sora stamped it before passing it through the outgoing mail slot of a nearby mailbox. 

It would find Riku. 

It had to. 

Postcard finished, Sora sighed and looked up. The bright lights from the tv advertisements and street lamps of the shopping district made it seem like daytime, even with the moon shining above. No stars though. The lights were too bright for that. Turning away from the sky, he began to walk. The people shuffled around his haunched form as he shuffled back to the house he was staying in. 

A new world, new friends, and everything was different. 

“—ra!”

Sora felt his heart stop, pausing in the middle of the sidewalk. People walked around him, grumbling at his frozen state, but Sora ignored them. 

That voice. That sounded like—

“Sora!” 

Sora turned around, not even daring to breathe. Was it really… was he really here?

He almost didn’t believe it until he could see the distinctive silver hair, Riku towering over many pedestrians around him. He was an easy landmark as Sora began to run towards him. 

“Riku!” 

“Sora!” 

He wrapped his arms around Riku’s neck as soon as he was close enough and his next breath sent a wave of relief through him, his muscles relaxing into Riku’s warmth, and his head resting on Riku’s chest. The sounds of the city around them faded away as Sora focused on their combined heartbeats, always in tune. Riku’s arms wrapped around his waist, his hands flat on Sora’s back as they squeezed him close. It was pure comfort. 

It was _home._

“Sora, I love you, too.”

Riku’s words were quiet, meant for Sora alone. Reluctantly, Sora pulled away to look up at beautiful teal eyes. “Huh? What?” 

In answer, Riku held up a card. The same postcard Sora had just sent. 

Sora laughed breathlessly, then returned to his spot, laying his head on Riku’s chest. “I love you. I love you so much.” 

“I love you, too,” Riku repeated, his face nuzzling into Sora’s hair. “I love you.” 

Sora didn’t know how long they stood there in the street, hugging each other like lifelines in a dark sea. But it didn’t matter. They were together again. 

There wouldn’t be a need for postcards in the foreseeable future. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I ever gonna stop writing fics where Sora and Riku reunite in post KH3? Nope. No, I will not until it happens in canon. And even then, there'd better be hugging. 
> 
> My reasoning for picking the postcard locations in this part was based solely on how much I could make it a landscape. I would have loved to do a field of flowers for Kingdom of Cornoa, but it was just not turning out. 😅I'll just need more practice. 
> 
> Please drop a comment if you've enjoyed! Thank you! 😁

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment if you've enjoyed the fic as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D 
> 
> If you want to follow me on Twitter, where I post fic updates, occasionally snippets of upcoming stories, and just generally scream about soriku and Kingdom Hearts, you can find me here: [ Green_eggs101 ](https://twitter.com/Green_eggs101)


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